Computing devices are used by end users with software that may require accurate licensing/versioning systems provided by software service providers or other vendors. Current software licensing mechanisms are typically either based on proprietary hardware (such as a dongle, for example) or use secure cryptographic keys via operating system (OS) provided security features. These mechanisms rely on the OS and its services to secure the keys used for encryption/decryption and may enforce a lease time period for SW licenses based on specific defined policies. The OS-controlled applications are easy targets for computer viruses, hackers, and those users with malicious intentions. They can employ sophisticated tools to search for the keys hidden in the OS managed storage or they may find ways to bypass the policies, for example, by extending the lease time by changing the computing system time, or by replacing the file that a document viewer uses to read the policies with a valid file with different parameters obtained from another system. The proprietary hardware solutions are costly, limit the user to one vendor, and do not allow vendors to develop quick and innovative solutions. Thus, improved secure mechanisms for licensing software to computing systems are needed.